Discovering books set in Italy...

Take me straight to the books! 

Venice, Rome, Florence, Naples....so many wonderful cities to explore, so little time! This is when you need some books set in Italy.

A trip to Italy is on most people's bucket list, and it is hardly surprising. Italy might be one of the most frustrating countries in the world, but it is also one of the most vibrant and fascinating, filled with a rich and colorful history, as well as exquisite architecture and culture.

And when choosing books set in Italy to read, it is hard to know where to start. Our advice? Pick a city and then read everything you can. Explore the Renaissance in Florence with Sarah Dunant's The Birth of Venus or Traci L. Slatton's Immortal. Then pop over to Venice and immerse yourself in the 18th century by reading Vivaldi's Virgins, or mix past and present with The Glassblower of Murano.

Out of the cities, it is hard to resist the selection of novels that allow us to explore the Tuscan countryside - Summer's Lease by John Mortimer and Mark Mills' The Savage Garden among them.

And if it's some contemporary crime fiction you are after, then you can follow Police Commissioner Aurelio Zen as he travels the country investigating murders and kidnappings.

We've sorted our books set in Italy by city and region below, so you should have no trouble finding something that inspires you in the place of your choice.

Viva Italia!

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